Windows 10 Announced - Released 29-Jul-2015

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/10/15/pushy_windows_10/
You have to wonder why MS are so keen though dont you?

 

They are obviously desperate to get 10 onto everyone's machines, yes. Part of the reason is due to 8's general failure I'm sure. Another reason is that they want to take Windows and the whole thing into a new direction.. I don't much care for their business practices at all, I think what they've done to 7 and 8 machines is inexcusable. But there really isn't much point in fighting it, unless you want Apple or Linux. MS has a monopoly, and it doesn't even matter if anyone likes what they're doing. They're doing it, and there's pretty much no stopping it. Either get on board the train, or get left behind....

 

I'm with you.

 

I will argue that the consequence are the exact opposite.

I know that a lot of people are expressing frustration and/or anger in the ongoing debates about Windows updates.

I do however not feel that this frustration/anger are justified.

Getting Windows to where it is today has taken two decades and Microsoft has many times been forced to make radical changes in order to make safer, better or more rational code and development possible.

Every time this results in a roar from the public.

In the case of updates, we have for twenty years had a situation where updates where just offered and not mandatory.
This unfortunate situation resulted in Microsoft being caught up in a develop, testing and support nightmare of epic proportions.

Looking back, this should had been changed many, many years ago.

With constantly 4 or 5 generations of Windows receiving updates.
Each generation has a myriad of editions.
And each generation has 200,300 maybe 400 updates available.

When you then add in that end-users has been cherry-picking updates completely at random, then the nightmare really takes off.

User 1 on Windows generation A, edition B has installed update 1,7,28,73 and 211 - and hidden everything else.
User 2 on Windows generation A, edition B has installed update 56,90,147 and hidden everything else.

Then add in all the other 1,6 billion Windows users across 4 or 5 Windows generations, all editions of each generation and the fact that all of those users has also chosen a unpredictable combination of updates.

Anyone that knows their math, can see that the total number of possible combinations and thereby different Windows installations that Microsoft has had to support has been astronomical.

Then add in the millions of different combinations of hardware out there.

And finally add in the number of drivers available for all that hardware.

You are now on a total number of combinations so huge that it is beyond anything that we humans can relate to.

And yet, for the most part, Microsoft has managed to pull it off.

There has been a bad update here and there for select groups of users.

But with the above in mind, the number of possible setups and installations that Microsoft has had to deal with, then it's amazing how well they has handled it.

But the expenses that Microsoft has had to devote to this, and the complexity in testing that this has called for are insane.

All this is why I started this post by saying that with the new way Microsoft are developing, testing and updating Windows 10, you are not in greater danger of a bad update.

In fact, it's the exact opposite.

Before Microsoft had to account for the endless number of update combinations that users might have installed, combined with different hardware and drivers.
The chances of the exact same combination of Windows updates that you or the next user had picked, being tested for your unique hardware/driver combo for each new Windows update/patch where not very big.

Now, with Windows 10 there are basically three different types of installations "in the wild" - fast ring, slow ring and RTM.
All of them fully updated with all updates as cumulative.

This suddenly means that with Microsoft's internal testing and 10+ millions Insiders and only three possible different Windows 10 installations - then the chances of your hardware/driver combination being tested with the exact same Windows 10 installation as you will receive on RTM are suddenly 1000 times bigger then in the past.

This is why the risk of failure at updating are rapidly decreasing.

My opinion are that Windows users across the world ought to welcome the new Windows 10, because due to the cumulative updating then now ALL 10+ million Insiders are testing the exact same build (and patch combination) as you will receive at RTM. Many of them properly with same hardware as you.

 

I agree with you that MS has a monopoly,and also I think 10 is the end of the "carrot" route.After the carrot comes the stick.With 10 I don't really feel I'm being left behind ,but rather waiting on the platform,as the train hasn't actually moved anywhere of consequence

 

Apple is a monopoly as well, and it exercises far greater control over both hardware and software than Microsoft. That makes for less choice at much higher expense. Linux, on the other hand, offers freedom if you're willing to make your own way.

That's an interesting and logical take, and I hope that it proves true over time. I agree that part of Microsoft improving the update process is reducing number of OS versions.

 

Yes, they probably won't change their mind. I will wait until OS comes "out of beta" and then decide if I will board this train. Otherwise I will stay on Windows 7 train. I must say I quite like it

 

Haha.. ok, I can understand that feeling too. I guess I'm looking to the future when I said that. Frankly, I was going to go with 7 last week, but then after just a few days of wondering about the latest round of Patch Tuesday updates, I quickly realized that I don't have the patience to sit here and scrutinize every Win 7 update that comes thru, wondering if it's nasty or not, and then finding out 2 or 3 months down the road that one I install IS nasty, and then having to restore a 3 month old image and do it all over again and again. I just don't have that kind of patience anymore. And linux, while nice, doesn't give me that 1080p HD video on Netflix that I get with Win. So... hence my decision to just bite the bullet, and get on the train now... why wait? Honestly, 10 seems pretty stable and runs well on my machine. So I went with it...

 

Yeah, I have a soft spot for old 7 too. I purchased it the 1st day it was released in stores, and installed it on my Vista desktop. I thought it was the best thing I'd ever seen, and I still like it till this day. I just don't have the patience to maintain it anymore, as I mentioned above.

 

I love Linux for it's simplicity in many ways. I've been using it for about 12 years, off and on. Nowadays I prefer Debian. If it weren't for the distinctly superior Win hd video, I'd probably have gone to Linux for good a long time ago.

Apple is just too expensive. I could afford it if I wanted to, but I can't justify paying 2-3 times more for an iMac than I would for a PC.

 

HP Stream 7 - To Windows 10 and back

You might like this review of the Windows 10 upgrade on the Atom-processor 32-bit HP Stream 7 touch-enabled tablet, covering upgrade, post-upgrade look & feel, privacy tweaks, severe problems with usability and management, performance, virtual keyboard, and other aspects, restore back to Windows 8.1, other observations and considerations, and more. Have fun.

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/hp-stream-7-upgrade-to-win-10-back.html


Cheers,
Mrk

 

Haha... Actually, I AM on 10 right now and it runs well. We can all get as paranoid and worried about it as we want, and we can like it or not, but it's here, and soon in a year or two, that will be about all anyone can get... unless you want Apple or Linux. I choose not to worry about all this stuff anymore, and to just go with it, and enjoy life...

 

Exactly. I just did the effortless upgrade the other day, and after about a half hour of being a little lost finding where every thing is, and doing the "Get Started" tutorial I find myself liking WIN10 for the most part.

 

There is a little learning curve on Win 10 but so far I like it. 10 has eliminated several problems Win7 had on my other comp. Hope it just keeps getting better. sure beats the Win 3.1 I had on my first windows machine.

 

Yes Win 10 is here to stay but I'll hold on to Win 7 as long as I can. Support for Win 7 runs out about 2020. The way M$ is dictating upgrades I'm wondering if they will still be in business in 2020. I never had a Mac and I'm considering buying one because "I choose not to worry about all this stuff anymore, and to just go with it, and enjoy life..."

 

I tried to hang onto 7, but I just refuse to sit here and scrutinize and doubt every update that comes down the tubes.. it's insanity. I think if you want to use 7, then your solution is probably best... just turn updates OFF.

10 is nice though. Runs well here. I'm not sure a Mac would be any better. And the price is sure high. Anyway, 10 it is for me..

 

I tried upgrading Win10 on both of my machines. One I've returned to Win7 and for the time being will stay on Win7. The other with a fresh clean install of Win10 is running great and there is no going back on this machine.

 

MS will still be in business in 2020 if the Enterprise has a successful migration to W10 in 2017 and 99% stability over the next 3 years. If there is just a couple of cumulative updates that create major havoc, businesses and governments will bail. They may forgive them 1 or 2, but I can not see them tolerating several. Backing out a CU may not be so easy in the future as so much stuff has been integrated into the OS. Time will tell.

Apple has never considered the Enterprise their patch. In fact, Steve Jobs loathed the sector. Just recently IBM put 130,000 MACs in the workplace at the employees request. People in the business were blown away by this acquisition. IBM has been an MS client for decades, so that must have raised a few brows here and there. IBM said that they recouped the high cost per unit by significantly lower annual support costs.

 

Did they say why there was less need for support? Perhaps almost no malware removal required...?

 

"IBM is rolling out Apple machines to its workforce and discovered only 5% of Mac users required IT support, compared with 40% of PC users.

Could you cut costs by giving employees Apple devices instead of PCs? IBM's Mac program seems to suggest yes.

IBM began an internal deployment of MacBook laptops in June 2015, reports Apple Insider. Its goal is to roll out 50,000 Macs by year's end, which will bring total IBM MacBook adoption to a total between 150,000 and 200,000 devices.

As part of its evolving partnership with Apple, IBM began to give employees the option to use a Mac in the workplace. The program has grown over the last few months and continues to expand."

Source: Informationweek and The Apple Insider

@Victek
There was no mention of the 'why'. Maybe follow on articles will provide more details.

 

(And @emmjay) Among other things :

Excerpts from interview of Fletcher Previn, VP of Workplace-as-a-Service at JAMF Nation User Conference -- http://www.jamfsoftware.com/blog/mac-ibm-zero-to-30000-in-6-months/